Close To Crazy

Eating, Company, & Family.

“So your Cuckoo for Coco Puffs™ eh?” Potter asked, sitting down at the table with a bowl of Cheerios™.
“Yes, yes I am.” Draco said sounding slightly miffed that the savior of the wizarding world had caught him acting like a total git. But Potter laughed, really laughed and Draco thought it was a wonderful sond. Draco began to wonder if Potter was doing any magic on him. “What are you playing at Potter?” Draco asked looking at the wizard. Harry spooned in a mouthful of cereal.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh come on…first you capture me, then you convince the Minister to wait to send me to Azkaban and in doing so you, more or less, invited me to live with you. So I ask you again, what are you playing at?” Harry took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. He swallowed and looked at Draco,
“Honestly? I have no idea.” He picked up the spoon and continued to eat.
“What do you mean you have no idea?” Draco questioned
“Excatly that.” Potter said and took another bite.
“Dammit! Can you stop eating while I’m talking to you!” Draco nearly screamed slamming his hands on the table. Harry stopped, the spoon poised half-way to his mouth, and burst out laughing.Draco realized he had again made himself sound like a complete git.
“I’m sorry…” Harry said laughing “does my eating bother you?” he shoved a mouthful of Cheerios™ in his mouth and chewed dramaticly. “Mmmm…” he groaned “Cheerios™!!!” Draco started to snicker, then chuckle, and finally he sat down in a full blown laugh.
“Never mind…” Draco said the humor wearing off “My subconscious seems hell bent on making a complete ass out of myself in front of you.” Harry laughed and got up, he came around the table and leaned over toward Draco. The blonde leaned back slightly, and Harry smirked,
“I think its rather funny. Your much more interesting then you used to be and frankly your very good company.” Harry winked and grabbed Draco’s bowl. Now Draco found that he was the confused one.

*+*+*+*

Harry practically ran upstairs and threw himself into his bedroom,
“What in the hell am I doing?” he asked himself. Harry knew he liked men, he always had on some level but this was stupid, so stupid. There was no way he could do this. Not with Draco, not with anyone really, but not with Draco especially. But here he was, flirting with the blonde. “I am an idiot.” He announced to himself. Harry looked up at his vanity mirrior and growled
“You are an idiot.” He said to his reflection, no response. Harry shook his head and pushed off the door, time for work he supposed, and got ready. Thirty minuets later he was downstairs collecting his things to head out the door.
“Um…Potter?” Draco said from the doorway, Harry looked at him,
“Yes?”
“Thanks for taking me in. Even if its only to send me to Azkaban, you have been…uh…really nice.” And with that Draco left. Harry shook his head in slight amazement, a Malfoy thanking him. Alright so Draco could hardly be considered a Malfoy any longer but none the less Harry never imagined that Draco would ever…oh crap…now he was calling Malfoy, Draco. This was bad. This was so very bad.

*+*+*+*

Harry closed his eyes and settled back against his car seat sighing. He was so tired. Harry worked for the Ministry on some level, but his job intailed working with both Muggles and Wizards. He went to each Muggle who had witnessed some magical happening and determined as to how far back to erase their memory. This of course involved quite a bit of traveling and a lot of people who complained. Harry had been an Arora for a good sixteen years until he had a bad accidenct with his knee and Nymphadora Tonks forbid him to continue. Harry was still part of the Order, a big part, but for the most part he had quit going to the meetings. He was just tired all the time anymore and the feel of so much power bothered him. Harry scrubbed his hands over his face and looked up at the sky. Judging by the sun it was seven or so and Harry had an hours drive until home. He desperatly wished he had not taken the time to look over Lucius' memories, after what he had learned Harry didn't really want to be all by himself with his thoughts and what he imagined to be Draco's memories. He sighed again and carded his fingers through his hair. Something vibrated in his pocket and Harry jumped, he pulled out his phone and looked at the caller, Hermione. Harry really didn’t feel like talking but answered anyway.
“Hello?”
“Harry get over here now.” Hermione said urgently almost screaming at him, Harry sat up,
“What? Where is ‘here’? What’s wrong? Why are you yelling?”
“Your house. I think Draco is going to have a mental break down and we cant wake him up and he won’t stop screaming.”
“Why are you at my house?”
“Harry! Just get here now!” Hermione said exasparated, “and don’t drive. Apparate.” And then Harry heard him. Draco, screaming. A shiver went down Harry’s spine, making his hair stand on end, and he snapped the phone shut Apparating to Draco's rescue.

*+*+*+*

Safe. Finally. Draco had been walking for days. Months it felt like, and finally some Muggle had spotted him in the woods and took him in. It was a small family, and it didn’t seem as if they had much, none the less they gave Draco food, drink and shelter. The couple, Bruce and Adel, told Draco that he could stay there as long as he needed. And for once in his life, Draco was happy. He stayed with them for a month or so and then…
“You think you can escape me boy?”
“No! God please NO!” Draco screamed. Flesh ripped. Blood flowed. Sinew tore. And Draco screamed. And screamed, and screamed…

“Malfoy! Wake the fuck up!” Ron yelled. But it did no good, the blonde went on screaming. Ron got off the edge of the bed and went over to Hermione rubbing his nose. Not five minuets earlier, when Ron had previously tried to wake Draco by shaking him, Draco flailed around and popped Ron right in the face. Ron decided it was best to stop touching Draco. “Call Harry.” Ron told Hermione, “and stop fretting. Just call Harry and tell him whats going on.” Hermione got on the phone and gave Harry the information,
“He’s on his way.” Hermione said, Ron grabbed his head, the blood curdling scream resounding in his ears.
“Good God, Shut him up.” Ron growled
*Pop!*
Harry appeared and immediately cupped his hands over his ears,
“Did you try and wake him up at least?!” Ron scowled at him,
“Yes. And in doing so, he punched me in the face.” Harry smirked slightly and sat down next to Draco. Harry rubbed his hand over Draco's right forearm
“Draco…” he whispered, “Draco…it’s okay. Your safe. Your safe.” Draco started to relax and the screams faded into whimpers. “I promise Draco your safe.” Harry heard Ron and Hermione slip out of the room. “I’ll keep you safe.”

*+*+*+*

A few minuets later Harry walked out of the room and went into the living room, Ron was sitting on the couch watching the rain fall thoughtfully. Harry wondered when it had started raining,
“Harry, what are you doing?” Ron asked not looking away from the window,
“What do you mean?” Harry said, looking down.
“You know what I mean. What are you doing with Malfoy?”
“I’m holding him here until Fudge gets contacts me.”
“Bullshit.” Ron said instantly,
“What are you talking about? It’s not bullshit-”
“Yes it is Harry.” Ron got up and walked over to his best friend and grabbed him by the shoulders. “I’ll ask you again. What are you doing Harry?” The brunet let out a harsh breath through his nose,
“I don’t know!” Harry moved away from Ron, “He feels…good, right, inoccent.”
“What?” Ron walked over to Harry and looked him in the eye, “Innocent? Malfoy? We are talking about the same man aren’t we? Draco Malfoy?” Harry let out a sigh,
“I don’t know Ron, that’s just it, he’s not, Malfoy anymore. He’s Draco, he’s still snarky, yes. A pain in my ass, sure. But he’s not hurtful, he’s not mean.”
“This is Malfoy Harry! The man who put us through hell all through school! How can he be innoccent?” Ron exsasperated,
“What if he didn’t have a choice?! What if his father made him act that way?! The Dursleys made me do all kinds of things I didn’t want to do! When I got older I learned to just do it or I got punished! Come on Ron! Is that so far fetched? Is that idea so ‘out there’, you met Lucius, he’s a manipulative bastard if there ever was one.”
“Perhaphs you should ask Draco about Draco.” A voice said from the doorway, both men looked up, “Just thought I’d interject.” The blonde looked pointedly at Ron and Harry.
“Harry seems to think your innocent.” Ron said,
“So I heard.” Draco absently scratched his stomach causing his shirt to ride up and reveal a sliver of silky skin. Harry felt his stomach drop, God what was wrong with him.
“Your not.” Ron stated matter-of-factly.
“Yes I know.” Draco leaned against the door frame, “I am not innocent, but not for the reasons you think.”
“What does that mean?” Ron asked,
Draco got up off the doorframe and walked over to the two men and sat down lazily on the sofa. “My father was insane on all accounts. But he never made me hate you Weasley. Well not you on a personal level. It’s not even that I had anything against your family particularly, not until I got to know you at least. My father taught me that any pureblood who worked with half-bloods was a tratior. And to add to that, your father worked around Muggles. Now that was on all accounts appaling!” Ron’s face flared red, “Wait! Before you get all huffy understand that is what I was taught. Now, my best firend is a Muggle. Hell by some accounts I myself am a Muggle. I have no issues with you or your family at all. I don’t hate you, and understand I didn’t hate you, because of you associating with Muggles or Half-Bloods. I hated you because you had the one thing I always wanted. A real Family.”

TBC!!!